1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to backup processes in computer networks and, more specifically, to a method and apparatus for evaluating a backup policy in a computer network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer systems and their components are subject to various failures that may result in the loss of data. For example, a storage device used in or by the computer system may experience a failure (e.g., mechanical, electrical, magnetic, etc.) that may make any data stored on the device unreadable. Erroneous software or hardware operation may corrupt the data stored on a storage device and effectively destroy the data stored on an otherwise properly functioning storage device.
To mitigate the risk of losing data, computer networks include backup systems for making backup copies of data stored on various storage devices. One type of backup system includes a dedicated backup server that backs up target data on one or more storage devices used in or by one or more computer systems, such as workstations and/or application servers. The backup server typically backs up the target data periodically according to a schedule. The data may be backed up initially to disk-based storage and then migrated to an archival storage, such as tape-based storage. The backup server may implement any of various known schemes to backup data, including full backups, incremental backups, differential backups, and the like. A full backup is a complete copy of the target data. An incremental backup is a backup that only contains the files that have changed since the most recent backup (either full or incremental). A differential backup is a cumulative backup of all changes made since the last full backup. If a backup fails to run as intended, data can be lost. The backup server typically operates in accordance with a backup policy that defines various parameters, such as the target data, the time window to perform the backup process, and the like.
When a backup fails to execute as intended, the computer system is exposed to the possibility of data loss. A backup may fail, for example, if the size of the data to be backed up exceeds the space available to store the backed up data. In another example, a backup may fail if the backup process takes longer to perform than the amount of time allocated to the backup tasks. To guard against backup failures, a computer system typically includes excess storage capacity to ensure that most backup tasks succeed. This excess system capacity, however, is costly. It is thus desirable to be able to determine whether an existing computer system is sufficiently capable of meeting the backup requirements.
Therefore, there is a need for a method or apparatus that would assist in determining the sufficiency of a backup policy without resorting to costly solutions.